Militiamen from ´´Fajr Libya´´ enjoy their stay at the compound of the American embassy in Tripoli. They plunge from the balcony into the swimming pool. (Still from YouTube video)
Libya's powerless outgoing government admitted Monday from its safe
refuge in the east of the country that it has in effect lost control of
Tripoli to armed militias. The interim government led by prime minister Abdullah al-Thani, which
resigned last week, said armed groups, mostly Islamist militias, were in
control of ministries and blocking access to government workers.
"Ministry and state offices in Tripoli have been occupied by armed
militias who are preventing government workers from entering and are
threatening their superiors," the government said in a statement.
It said the interim government was in contact with officials and "trying to ensure the continuity of services from afar."
The interim government announced last week it had tendered its
resignation to the elected parliament, days after a rival Islamist
administration was created. The parliament and government are operating out of Libya's east for security reasons. A rival body, the General National Congress, last week named
pro-Islamist figure Omar al-Hassi to form a "salvation government".
Interim authorities have been steadily losing ground to the militias
and the Fajr Libya (Libya Dawn) mainly Islamist alliance, which seized
Tripoli airport on August 22 after weeks of fierce fighting with
nationalist rivals.
On Sunday, Islamist militiamen moved into the US embassy compound in
Tripoli that was evacuated in late July, with videos showing cheering
men diving from an upstairs balcony into the facility's swimming pool.
Fajr Libya members said they had gone in to secure the complex of
several villas in southern Tripoli, not far from the airport, to prevent
it from being looted.
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